Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the long-term effects of large concentrations of HMOs in urban centres.

The department has not made an assessment of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) in urban centres. However, we have given local authorities strong powers to regulate standards in HMOs.

These powers include HMO licensing, penalties of up to £30,000 for breaches of the law, rent repayment orders and, for the worst offenders, banning orders.

Local authorities also have additional powers through the planning system to regulate the change of use of properties into HMOs. Any change of use from a dwelling-house to a larger HMO housing of more than six people requires an application for planning permission.

Permitted development rights, which are set at a national level, allow a dwelling-house to change use to an HMO for up to six people who share facilities, without the need for a planning application. This process enables the change of use without placing unnecessary burdens on landlords and local planning authorities and we have no current plans to change this.

However, where there is sufficient evidence that it is necessary to protect local amenities or the well-being of the area, local planning authorities may withdraw a permitted development right in a specific area using an Article 4 direction under the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, after consultation with the local community.